Youssoufa is an exceptional player who we trained ourselves and in whom we still see huge development potential. So I’m happy that we were able to convince Youssoufa before the start of the second half of the season, which is so important for us, that he has the best prospects at BVB and that his path is far from over here.
It was important to us to be able to conclude the negotiations this week so that we all – and especially Youssoufa – can start the football year 2023 in peace and fully focused on the sporting challenges,’ says Borussia Dortmund’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl.
‘It’s no secret that I feel good at BVB. I played in the youth teams, took my first steps in professional football here and now I’m ready to take the next step in my development together with the club,’ says Moukoko.
‘I feel the trust of the coaching staff and I have an environment here in which I can develop perfectly,’ he emphasizes: ‘Of course I was honored by the interest of other clubs, but ultimately it’s a heart decision. The fans have always supported me and I want to give something back to them and the club.’
Chelsea and Manchester City are also said to be in the running for the England international, but Parker thinks he could be an excellent replacement for Nemanja Matic in the heart of United’s midfield:
“If you’re going to talk about impact [of transfers], I think he could maybe be the most important one and could make the difference in a really-good partnership compared to an average one.”
“The way he plays, the authority he plays with, he nicks balls off people’s toes, he very rarely gets booked. United don’t really have anyone like that, the only one is ageing, Nemanja Matic, there’s no-one else in that role who can play.”
It will be interesting to see how United approach the rest of the summer once they officially complete the £73m signing of Jadon Sancho. There are question marks over whether they do have the funds to finance over big transfer deals, and Rice would certainly count as one of those.
West Ham are determined to keep hold of their vice-captain with reports suggesting that they will demand between £80m and £100m for the 22-year-old.
Whether manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will prioritise Rice over cheaper targets, such as Rennes’ Eduardo Camavinga, we shall have to wait and see, but Parker is convinced that the Englishman would be the right choice.
